Home - Loud & Clear: EMS guiding principles

Learn what they didn't teach you in paramedic school

A podcast for EMS providers, we cover topics in more depth than you learned in paramedic school and connect this all back to the guiding principle of what actually matters to you the provider in the field.

“Wish I could give 6 stars. These guys are the Bob Ross of emergency care.”

Shangsnek

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About Us

Ross Orpet, MD

A board certified emergency medicine physician practicing in Colorado, I completed my residency at Denver Health Medical Center, as well as a fellowship in Emergency Medical Services. I got my start in emergency medicine working as a paramedic at the Denver Health Paramedic Division..

Will Berry, FP-C, NR-P

I have worked in EMS for 13 years and caught the bug to be involved in emergency response after working as a wilderness guide in Colorado. Most of my career was with the Denver Health Paramedic Division where I spent several years as a Lieutenant. I am currently a practicing critical care paramedic in North Carolina.

What People Are Saying

Great Podcast!

“I have been a nurse for 10 years, most of that in the emergency department. The information on this podcast is not only helpful for paramedics, but applies to ER nursing as well! I always encourage our new nurses and experienced nurses to listen to this podcast!”

Shane G33

08/31/2023

Great For First Responders

“Paramedic of 3 years here. This is the podcast I keep coming back to. I get a great mix of in-depth information beyond my scope as well as lots of practical information for me as a provider in the field.”

Rjbaker022

07/06/2023

Most Recent Episode Breakdowns

Building Better Providers: Eric Bauer, Lessons from FlightBridgeEDEric Bauer- the pursuit of excellence

Will and I recently attended FAST24, an educational conference hosted by FlightBridgeED in Wilmington, North Carolina. We had a fantastic time meeting industry top speakers,

Ross Orpet
July 1, 2024
Podcast Episodes
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The Perils and Pleasures of Mushrooms

In this episode, we delve into the fascinating and often perilous world of mushrooms. Join us as we explore with Dr. Nik Matsler how these

Electrical Injuries and Lightning Strikes

Derek Miller, outreach coordinator for the UNC JC Burn Center, joins us again to explore electrical injuries and lightning strikes. We discuss the various types

Ross Orpet
June 1, 2024
Podcast Episodes
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Achieving Stroke Care Excellence in Pre-Hospital Settings

Explore the nuances of stroke assessments, the challenges EMS professionals face in the field, and the impact of prehospital interventions on patient outcomes. Coco Wham,

Ross Orpet
May 15, 2024
Podcast Episodes
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The Critically Burned Patient

Burn injuries are among the most intimidating emergencies faced by prehospital care providers. The intricacies of managing such cases were vividly discussed in our recent

Rethinking Priorities in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest – Which Comes First Epi or Airway?

Which comes first epinephrine or airway? Out of hospital cardiac arrests involve critical and often complex decisions with sequence and timing of various procedure. What

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Loud & Clear: EMS Guiding Principles – Advanced Continuing Education for Paramedics, EMTs & Prehospital Care Providers

Paramedic training is over, you’re in the front seat now. Whether day 1 or day 1,000 you can’t shake the fear you’re underprepared. You were taught to systematically decide if A… do B. But what if “A” wasn’t in the book? The truth is each emergency call is too unique to teach the right response to every situation. We need to go beyond algorithmic thinking and understand deeper principles, the WHY behind the algorithm. When every decision counts you want to rely on a framework that will guide you when things don’t make sense. Loud & Clear: EMS Guiding Principles is your resource to build that framework. Through discussions with experts, review of evidence-based best practices, and real-world case studies we teach you one step past what you learned in paramedic school. But all of this advanced education is connected back to the guiding principles that answer the question- “at the end of the day, what actually matters to the patient I have in front of me?” Our mission is to elevate your practice and help you improve patient outcomes in every emergency situation. You may not feel ready, you may not feel like you know enough, but by understanding the guiding principles of emergency medicine you can become an expert EMS clinician. Because what you do matters.

Loud & Clear: EMS Guiding Principles is an EMS Cast LLC production

Death is the Bottom: Why EMS Must Rethink Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

“Nobody told me that the bottom had a basement and the basement had a trap door.” This powerful quote from a grieving mother reveals the tragic reality: for patients with opioid use disorder, rock bottom isn’t recovery—it’s death.

Dr. Jason Hoppe, a medical toxicologist from the University of Colorado, joins us to challenge how EMS providers think about opioid overdoses. The one-year mortality rate after an overdose requiring Narcan? A staggering 6-7%—worse than the one-year mortality after a STEMI. Yet we invest far less in these patients than cardiac emergencies.

This episode covers the evidence-based treatments that actually work (methadone and buprenorphine have incredibly low numbers-needed-to-treat to save a life), how EMS can initiate life-saving treatment in the field, and why “tough love” and waiting for patients to “hit rock bottom” is a dangerous myth. Learn how just an extra 6-minutes on scene could save lives, why patients on buprenorphine need MORE pain medication during trauma, and how breaking the stigma starts with you.

Ready to make a real difference? Discover how EMS providers are uniquely positioned to interrupt the deadly cycle of opioid use disorder.

Want to build unshakeable confidence on scene? We have developed a program to help paramedics go from self-doubt and imposter syndrome to calm competent providers others look to in crisis. If you want to learn more about our Paramedic Confidence Builder course reach out via email at [email protected] or through our contact page at emspodcast.com or via DM on IG @emsloudandclear

Guest/Cast/Crew information-

Guest- Jason Hoppe, D.O.

Hosts – Ross Orpet, Will Berry

Catch up with us after the show